London Could Be As Hot As Barcelona By 2050 As Study Highlights Worrying Effect Of Climate Change​

For anyone who is thinking of relocating to Spain in the future, you might just be saving yourself an airfare as new research shows London could feel as hot as Barcelona by 2050.

Shocking new research has highlighted the effects of climate change by looking at what the temperature of the world's 520 major cities will look like in the futuristic date and comparing them with their current-day equivalent.

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London could be as hot as Barcelona in 2050. Credit: Pexels

In three decades time, Birmingham and Edinburgh will feel like a modern day Paris, while Cardiff and Manchester will feel much like Uruguay's capital, Montevideo.

Temperatures in Leeds will have it feeling like a current-day Melbourne.

Birmingham will feel like Paris is summer. Credit: Unsplash/Alexander Kagan

As for the rest of Europe, Paris and Berlin will be as hot as Canberra in Australia, Rome will feel like Adana in Turkey, and Barcelona will be akin to Adelaide down under.

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Temperatures in New York will soar to feel like Virginia Beach, while Los Angeles will feel as hot as Hargeysa, the Somaliland capital.

More than a fifth of the world's major cities, including Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, will experience conditions that are incomparable with conditions cities have ever seen before.

Some cities will experience heat never felt before. Credit: Pexels

The study, published in the journal PLOS One, featured an interactive map which shows the changes in temperature across the world.

In London, the average temperature of the warmest summer month will see an increase of 5.9 degrees, resulting in an average annual increase of 2.1 degrees.

While this might sound great on the surface, this could leave to major climate problems such as droughts. In 2008, wild weather conditions in Barcelona led to a drought which forced them to import drinking water from France for a cost of £20million. Researchers predict similar could happen in the UK capital.

Credit: Pexels

"History has repeatedly shown us that data and facts alone do not inspire humans to change their beliefs or act," lead author Jean-Francois Bastin said.

As we know, we can all do our little bit to prevent the affects of climate change such as cutting back on single-use plastics, using public transport over driving or becoming more energy efficient at home .

Ciara Sheppard

Ciara is a freelance journalist working for Pretty 52. After graduating from the University of Sussex, Ciara worked as a writer at GLAMOUR Magazine and later as the Assistant Editor of Yahoo Style UK. Please contact her on ciarasheppard@hotmail.co.uk.